Chapter 261 - Great Symbol Sword Controlling Technique
“Fellows, since it’s like this, probably no one has interest in sparring anymore. Let’s end it here, we can spar again later when there’s a chance,” said Yang Qian slowly when he saw the situation.
“Okay, after seeing your Junior’s strength twice, I really don’t have much fighting spirit,” smiled the red-browed youth bitterly.
Following that, he saluted everyone and rose up and away with red clouds under his feet.
Seeing this, the remaining Xue Ci and others also left with thoughts running through their heads.
In the blink of an eye, there was only Yang Qian and the Yun surnamed youth left at the edge of the square.
“Brother Yun, was there something else you wanted?” Seeing this, Yang Qian asked indifferently.
“It’s nothing. I know that you’ve been cultivating a Baleful Yin secret technique recently and need some supplementary materials. I somehow obtained a small piece of Yin Marrow Wood, it should be perfect for you.” The youth surnamed Yun grinned and took out a piece of dead wood that was emanating wisps of black mist from his sleeve and handed it to Yang Qian.
“Yin Marrow Wood is indeed of great use to me. Here are three thousand spirit stones, it should be enough for the value of this item.” With a change of expression, Yang Qian did not take the black wood and instead, took out a leather pouch full of spirit stones from his sleeve and tossed it over first.
“No need, I am willing to gift this to you.” Although the tanned youth caught the leather pouch, he shook his hands continuously and prepared to toss the spirit stones back.
“If Brother Yun does not want the spirit stones, then I am unable to accept this piece of Yin Marrow Wood.” Seeing this, Yang Qian’s voice deepened.
The youth surnamed Yun could naturally hear the resolve in his voice and with a bitter smile, put away the leather pouch.
Yang Qian’s face finally relaxed under his mask and lifted his hand to take the black wood. He played with it for a moment, his eyes revealing an expression of delight.
“That’s right, can I see your true appearance again?” Seeing this, the youth surnamed Yun’s expression slowly became a little strange and for some reason, he murmured such abrupt words.
“What are you saying?” Yang Qian’s arm that was playing with the wood froze and his voice became bone-chillingly cold.
“Hehe, if you are not willing, then just pretend I didn’t say anything,” dryly laughed the youth with hurry, his heart skipping a beat.
“Fellow Yun, do not forget the oath you made. Unless I am self-willing, do not dare to reveal my true identity. Even more so, do not delude yourself into wanting other things. Forgetting my true appearance is the best thing to do,” said Yang Qian eerily, feeling the silver mask on his face.
“Of course I remember it. It’s just that your true appearance was so astonishing. How is it something that I could forget so easily?” sighed the youth with the surname Yun.
“Hmph, no matter what you are thinking, you better remember this - the time you see my true appearance the second time, is the time of your death,” said Yang Qian coldly. And with that, he shook his sleeves and shot up into the sky, flying into the distance on a cloud.
The youth surnamed Yun remained at his original spot and quietly watched Yang Qian’s back as he moved into the distance like a fool.
…..
A black shadow flashed in front of a stone house.
Liu Ming landed from the sky and shook his sleeve forward. A great force instantly gushed out and pushed the stone door open.
His figure moved again.
He entered the stone house and the door slowly closed at the same time.
Liu Ming sat down cross-legged on the cushion at the center of the room and held one hand in front of his eyes.
The injuries on the back of his hand had impressively become only a few faint traces of blood.
With the strengthening of his body, even if he did not use healing techniques, his own healing capabilities were enough to heal regular small injuries.
He exercised his fingers and seeing that they were all nimble as before, he set his mind at rest.
After Liu Ming went into deep thought for a while, he pulled out the green short sword and held it in front of his eyes to examine it. At the same time, the snow white sword that was on Zhang Xiuniang’s back flashed in his head.
Although the tier of the sword that the woman used was unknown, it didn’t seem too possible that it was a high tier totem. It was most likely a mid tier totem like the Cyan Moon Sword.
The Flying Sword Technique she used was indeed astonishingly powerful, but he could faintly feel that Zhang Xiuniang did not exhibit the true power of the sword.
Which meant that this Heavenly Moon Sect disciple’s Fa Li was nowhere near as pure as his.
But from another point of view, Zhang Xiuniang’s Flying Sword Technique seemed even scarier.
Liu Ming quietly recalled the scene where the woman tossed out the sword in her hand. It had turned into a snow-white ray and easily defeated the sword light of the Cyan Moon Sword.
It was obvious that Zhang Xiuniang’s secret technique of turning the sword body itself into a sword light was far more clever than the sword techniques he used.
It looked like he still had to comprehend the Great Symbol Sword Method. The book definitely had similar high-level secret techniques recorded in it.
Before, his cultivation was not enough for him to comprehend more things. But now that he was a Spirit Master, he would definitely gain a lot from studying the book again.
Thinking like this, Liu Ming put away the Cyan Moon Sword and slowly closed his eyes, making a hand seal with one hand. A spiritual light instantly arose in his consciousness and a golden book appeared in his mind, slowly flipping open page by page.
He sat cross-legged on the floor without moving and began to browse through the Great Symbol Sword Method.
Two whole hours later, he opened his eyes, full of delight.
“Great Symbol Sword Controlling Technique! There really was a sword technique that defeats enemies by controlling the sword body! Cultivating this technique to the end can allow one to slay enemies that are a hundred miles away. In fact, becoming one with the sword along with sword flying techniques and other techniques are strong techniques that were derived from it. Very good, let me see how this technique is cultivated first,” murmured Liu Ming, seemingly extremely excited.
The ‘Sword Controlling Technique’ that Zhang Xiuniang cultivated before was actually just the becoming one with the sword technique.
It was just that regular cultivators preferred to call this technique the Sword Controlling Technique instead.
Liu Ming breathed deeply and closed his eyes again, focusing on his sea of consciousness once again.
Like this, time passed bit by bit. When Liu Ming opened his eyes again, his brows were furrowed.
“Cultivating the Sword Controlling Technique is actually so difficult! Not only do you have to remember the countless sword method hand signs, you also need to practice coordinating it with mental strength repeatedly in order to control the sword at will. Then you have to activate the Fa Li within to connect it to the sword to finally be able to exhibit the power of the flying sword to perfection.”
According to the descriptions of the Sword Controlling Technique in the book, although the level of cultivation would affect the power of the flying sword, the proficiency of the Sword Controlling Technique was also separated into the levels of beginner, initial mastery, complete mastery, and perfection. Also, under the same level of cultivation, the power could be a world of a difference.
From Liu Ming’s estimation, the level of difficulty of cultivating the Sword Controlling Technique was most probably way beyond that of ‘high level techniques’.
In addition, if the aptitude of the cultivator was not enough, they might be stuck at the beginner level forever.
The becoming one with the sword technique needs one to be at least at the level of initial mastery, and sword flight would be impossible unless one was at the level of complete mastery.
It was clear how terrifying Zhang Xiuniang’s aptitude was as a Sword Communication Spirit Body, for she was able to use becoming one with the sword before she had even advanced into a Spirit Master.
However, from Liu Ming’s perspective, the Heavenly Moon Sect’s genius disciple’s Sword Controlling Technique was still only at the beginner level.
Otherwise, it would not have just been the surface of the skin that was injured by the sword’s aura at the spar before. The sword may have in fact been able to cut through the palm of his hand.
Of course, if Zhang Xiuniang’s Sword Controlling Technique was really cultivated to such terrifying levels, Liu Ming would not have received the attack with his fist and instead activated the Heavy Water Bead’s full power and tossed it out without hesitation.
No matter what, the Sword Controlling Technique was also, without doubt, a method that could increase his strength rapidly.
Although Liu Ming did not expect to be able to cultivate this technique to the level of a beginner in just two or three months, initial understanding and easier things such as attacking by releasing the Cyan Moon Sword was still possible with effort.
Thinking till there, Liu Ming was determined. He took out the sword that was in his sleeve and actually began to practice the authentic Sword Controlling Technique.
This was different to that of regular methods of controlling totems. Despite him tossing the item in his hand into the air repeatedly, the short sword either only remained in the air for a mere moment and shakily fell, or it flashed crazily. The sharp aura that was emitted by the body of the sword, couldn’t truly accumulate into a shape…….
Like this, Liu Ming went into seclusion in the stone house for half a month.
Just as he felt that he was finally finding the key to understanding a bit of the Sword Controlling Method, there was suddenly the sound of a bell ringing from outside the stone house.
Liu Ming had already been notified about this and immediately knew that this was the alarm for the appearance of the Sea Race. He hurriedly put away the sword and got up to push open the stone door.
He walked outside with large steps and saw that the entirety of the huge city was in commotion.
Inside the huge city, numerous flying ships and battle chariots rose up from each sect’s area.
On the city wall, groups of armored soldiers rushed up to the front of the city and rapidly set up huge glyph crossbows, aiming them at the far distance.
Liu Ming furrowed his brows and a black cloud appeared under his feet, taking him high up. In the blink of an eye, he was several thousands of feet high in the air and could see the situation near the city as well as in the distance clearly.
He could see that the dozen tall, faint silver towers around the city had begun to radiate a strange light. Simultaneously, the items that were hanging at the top of the towers were buzzing continuously; the noise and rhythm were all in sync as if they were in coordination with each other.
At the same time, with the huge city as the center and the dozen towers as points, an enormous silver formation was faintly forming.
At the horizon in the far distance, there was loud rumbling and a black line appeared out of nowhere. In the blink of an eye, it grew larger and thicker, becoming a boundless stretch of churning black cloud.